The Morning’s Top 5 Pop Culture Stories

1. In celebration of the 50th anniversary of Shakespeare in the Park this summer, Meryl Streep and Kevin Kline are taking the stage for a special one-night only performance of Romeo and Juliet. But before you get too excited, be warned: tickets for the staged reading start at $1500 a pop. [via PopWatch]

2. Anna Paquin and her husband/True Blood costar Stephen Moyer have a baby on the way. All we can say is that we hope it’s not possessed like Arlene’s kid. [via MTV]

3. Charles Dickens’ great-great-grandson is collaborating with J.R.R. Tolkien’s grandson on an audiobook project; the former will narrate two new YA fantasy books by the latter that are based on stories that his grandpa told him as a kid. [via ArtsBeat]

4. Apparently Jason Segel won’t even be making a cameo appearance in the planned sequel to The Muppets. “I did exactly what I set out to do, if that makes any sense,” he told The Playlist. “I like doing these R-rated comedies… I think I enjoy acting too much to repeat myself in any way. Muppets 2 would feel like repeating myself and I feel like maybe there would be no upside for me either.

5. Levon Helm’s family has announced that the legendary drummer and vocalist for the Band is in the final stages of his battle with cancer, and are asking fans to send “prayers and love to him as he makes his way through this part of his journey.” [via NME]